Music Monday

Impacting TODAY 5/23/16!

These girls stole my heart in Vegas at the BBR Music Group brunch (during ACM week), when they were introduced and performed 3 of their songs. Watch the video below of “Lipstick” and let me know what you think about these ladies! I’m trying so hard to get them here this summer! This song is catchy and sure to fly up the country music charts, and with female artists on the rise, these ladies are going in the right direction. Country is taking a slight turn from “bro-country” and starting to focus on the ladies!

This song is starting to explode on country radio! Marren Morris is going to be someone who will rise to fame very quickly this year. For those of you who haven’t heard it, no the song isn’t religious or about going to church, so don’t shy away from it out of fear of that. It’s a powerful song about the healing powers of country music, and how one can just get lost in the music on a long drive and end up feeling so much better about everything. “I find my soul revival, singing every single verse / Yeah, I guess that’s my church.” I’ve always been a huge believer that music can save a soul, much like God or a church can, and this is the message that Maren is trying to get across in this single that is going to soar up the charts over the next few months!

Russell Dickerson – Yours

Can I just take a second and personally say, “Awwwwwww” and that I want a guy to feel like this about me one day? I yearn to make someone the best version of themselves, more than I want to find someone who is going to make me the best version of my own self! The fact that there is a “Wedding Version” on his EP for this song speaks magnitude about the power it will hold over people’s emotions. This song is going to touch hearts and that’s what makes or breaks a song in my opinion. His vocals are strong and the lyrics are touching and powerful. You need to give it a listen!

Brooke Eden – Daddy’s Money

Brooke has been in the Nashville scene for a few years now, and after releasing an EP in early 2014 and the single American Dreamin’ later that year, now she’s come out with a brand new single that country radio is going to love! This song isn’t about being handed everything on a silver platter, it’s just the opposite! Brooke sings about working hard for everything she has gotten, and encourages all of the girls around town to not let it hold them up or slow them down if they don’t have the ease of living off of “Daddy’s Money”. It’s a sassy single with attitude and girl-power that is going to be her big break in 2016 and just goes to prove that hard work (and of course talent) will get you far. Sometimes it’s about who you know, but in Brooke’s case, she wants it known that pure determination and hard work got her to where she is today!

Brothers Osborne – It Ain’t My Fault

I had the pleasure of hearing this song live, acoustically, for the very first time at the Brothers Osborne CD Release Party. So let’s just start out by saying that as a kid, one of my favorite games was Mouse Trap, simply for the fact that it was a game of cause and effect based on a chain reaction… where one action influenced the next. (Memory refresh here!) Same with my obsession for the Back to the Future… do you remember Doc’s alarm clock contraption in the opening sequence? (If not, refresh your memory here!) Basically, these type of Rube Goldberg machines intrigue me, and It Ain’t My Fault is a song with that same basic idea, but reversed. It’s all about blaming the previous night’s behavior on a plethora of things, each one leading to the next. It’s a fun song about someone who is guilty of a “damn good time”. Not sure which track BR-OS plans on releasing as their next single, but this would be my pick for sure!

Be sure to follow along on twitter and like our facebook page! I would love for you to join me along in my journey through the country music industry and help me chase my dreams!

Musically, 2015 has been a breakout year for artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Ray, A Thousand Horses, Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt, Cam, Chris Janson, Old Dominion, Chase Bryant, LoCash, Canaan Smith and more! What artists will emerge and climb to the top in 2016?! I’ve got some premonitions, but for now, I’ll just share with you some of my “new” favorite songs as the year is wrapping up!

Florida Georgia Line, “Confession”

“Embers in the ashtray glow / like memories that won’t let go”

“That guy in the windshield looking back looks just like me / But there’s a crack in the reflection”

This song has been my favorite song off of their Anything Goes album since it was first released back in October of 2014. I’m surprised it took them this long to make it a radio single! I definitely appreciate Florida Georgia Line’s “softer side” which helps balance out the high energy party songs. I love the visuals in this song, how you can listen to it with your eyes closed and “see” the story being told. Also, basically any song that mentions a shooting star or star gazing is going to earn extra points in my book! It’s a song about reflecting on the past and driving out to the middle of nowhere to basically drink beer and contemplate life. So far, all of FGL’s singles have hit #1, and this one will be no exception!

Cole Swindell, “You Should Be Here”

“It’s one of those moments, that’s got your name written all over it /And you know that if I had just one wish it’d be that you didn’t have to miss this / You should be here”

Heart. Strings. Pulled. Cole says that this is the song that he “came to Nashville to write” and the raw emotions behind these lyrics tied with the visuals of Mike Monaco’s video… so powerful. This is a very personal song for Cole, written about his late father who passed only weeks after Cole officially got his first record deal. The video features one of their last phone conversations as well highlights from Cole’s career that his Dad has missed out on. Everyone has lost someone they’ve loved, and everyone has those moments where they wish their loved one could be there to experience life with them. You Should Be Here captures these feelings and ties them personally to all of the meaningful moments in Cole’s career that his Dad missed out on. Though Cole says that he knows his Dad is smiling from up above looking down, he just wishes he could be there to put his arm around him and experience the moment. Download this song. NOW. Industry professionals are already predicting it’s going to be up for “Song of the Year” at future awards shows.

I’m the dreamer, soaking up every lineSearching for truth all the timeThe believer, that music can save a soulThe one who’s at every show, in the front row,Singin’…

Trying my best to not be a “basic white girl” right now, but… I can’t even. I can’t even get over the goosebumps that I felt hearing this song for the first time today, I can’t even describe to you how much joy my heart felt and how much that I could relate to every note and every lyric. I was literally blown away when I heard Charles Kelley’s new song, “The Driver” on WPOR this morning. Upon returning home and immediately looking up the lyrics/video and downloading it from iTunes, I discovered that Eric Paslay and Dierks Bentley also collaborate on what is SURE to be the 2016 ACM Vocal Event of the Year… if not DECADE. This song is going to soar to the top of the charts and win many, many awards. This masterpiece was beautifully written by Charles Kelley, Eric Paslay and Abe Stoklasa. It’s the story of the road… these artists on tour that pour their hearts and souls into every show. Me? I’m one of those dreamers, a believer, a singer… at every show, in the front row. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Please take a look and listen! You won’t be disappointed!

If you haven’t gotten Kip’s sophomore album, Wild Ones, yet… you are seriously missing out on some quality music. This album is so raw and full of so much passion that nearly every song gives me goosebumps. I’ve been a fan of Kip since 2011, before most people had any idea of who he was. Albeit the entire CD is on point, the song that I have to play twice every time that the album cycles through is track #12, Running For You. Written with Blair Daly and Troy Verges, Kip explains, “The melody came to me I was with Troy Verges and Blair Daly, and I said, ‘I got this thing.’ We just kinda wrote a song about when you really care about somebody, you wanna see ’em shine and you wanna see ’em go grab what they’re after.” Kip… I hope one day some man sings (or plays) me this song when I pack up and head to Nashville after my own dreams…

Old Dominion, “Snapback”

“Those stars need to be wished on / Your skin needs to be kissed on”

I was literally hooked on this song from the first verse… it’s not your ordinary “Top 40” country song… and that freshness and new sound is what is going to take it to the top. No doubt this song from their upcoming Meat and Candy album is going to reach #1. The upbeat and fun tempo and killer lyrics drew me in right away! My favorite line from the song? “We got the beat, let’s drop it.”… just the way Matt sings it! This song makes me SMILE SO BIG! I just love a song that makes me break out in a huge grin! Snapback was written by Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi, who are actually 3 of the 5 members of the band.

Kelsea Ballerini, “Secondhand Smoke”

“Am I the product of a problem that I couldn’t change?/Got his eyes, got her hair, so do I get their mistakes?”

This is the most powerful song on Kelsea’s debut album, The First Time. I have been passionate about this song since I first got the CD in June. Secondhand Smoke is a deeply personal song for Kelsea, as it tells the story of her parents divorce. You can hear the raw emotion in every verse. She penned this tune with Josh Kerr and Jordyn Shellhart and they actually came up with the title for the song before the lyrics were written! “Immediately, I thought it could be a story of being in a household that’s broken and that’s all you know, but you decide that you’re not going to feel like that,” Kelsea tells Rolling Stone. Kelsea hopes she can be a voice of comfort for kids who are going through a similar divorce situation like she did as a preteen.

Kelsea’s debut album, titled The First Time, came out last week… and I really hope that you all bought a copy! Kelsea is definitely the next big thing in the female country genre… you might know her from her first Top 10 Single, Love Me Like You Mean It. While her whole CD is amazing (even Taylor Swift thinks so!), I’m really liking this one right now. It screams girl power and confidence, knowing exactly what you want and going out to get it. I don’t see how anyone could not love Kelsea, she’s just so sweet and talented!

Michael Ray, “Run Away With You”

This song will always be special to me, because I got to hear the demo version back in October of 2013, way before it was released. I was at a bar in Nashville, hanging with some of Michael Ray’s band mates, and he let us listen to this song. My first thought was, “that’s totally going to be a big hit!” While Big & Rich cut it for their album, Gravity, you’ve got to hear Michael Ray’s original version, which I will always be partial to! (John Rich and Michael Ray wrote the song together.) Michael Ray’s version can be found on his EP which is ONLY available at Walmart! Get your copy here!

Drake White, “It Feels Good”

Just like the title suggests, this is really a “feel-good” song that perks you right up and makes you want to dance and/or stomp your boots! White combines some blues with his natural twang, and it’s nothing like all the other songs that you hear on the radio! This song has a very unique style and is sure to be a hit with both new-country and old-style country lovers! This is totally a fun-loving country summer jam! View the lyric video on YouTube!

Luke Bryan, “Kick The Dust Up”

I’ll always be partial to Luke, despite all of the cr@p he gets for his bro-country-hip-hop style. This song automatically had me bopping my head a long to the beat. Lyrically, it’s much like all of his other songs about partying in the middle of nowhere, moonshine, trucks burning up a back road, boots on, etc. Despite this, Luke knows what the radio stations want and he continues to deliver. It’s sure to be a summer hit! It’s definitely not my favorite Luke song, but I do love the guitar/banjo picking beat!

Outshyne, “Moonlight Crush”

This song is a bit older, being first released to Sirus/XM Radio in August of 2013. I’ve liked it since day one, but I’ve been really getting into it more lately with summer on it’s way. Boy meets girl, boy develops crush on girl. You know how you tend to love songs that you can relate to the lyrics? This song is magic to me for that reason. Everyone loves a good summer romance, right? 😉 Check out the music video!

We’ve been waiting for his new album for over a year now… his new single hit radio on February 2nd. Request it! It’s raw and honest and sexy… bet you won’t be able to get the hook out of your head! Kip is one of my all time favorite artists and this song is so true to him and his personality.

Love & Theft, “Whiskey on my Breath”

Love & Theft is back with some amazing heart-felt and soul-filled harmonies. This song is GOLD. I have so much love for these two, and this is one of my favorite songs they’ve written so far! This song better get the praise and recognition that it deserves!

Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time”

I could not be more obsessed with Sam Hunt. His acoustic mix tape (Behind the Pines) and debut album (Montavello) are consistently on repeat in my car. This is his newest radio single and is currently at #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Old Dominion, “Break up With Him”

It’s been a number 1 hit on Sirus XM’s station, The Highway, but hasn’t dropped to radio yet. It’s a fan favorite at their live shows and when I saw them live, it’s the song that convinced me to buy their EP! Give it a listen!

Chase Bryant, “Take it on Back”

Country newcomer Chase Bryant is quickly making a name for himself. He is now on my “Artists I Want to See in Concert” list! Lyrically, this song is like 90% of all the other bro-country songs out there, but it’s catchy and is destined to be a radio hit.